Source: The Hindu

Introduction

On 10^th August 2023, the Rajya Sabha introduced the Post Office Bill, 2023, during its monsoon session. It seeks to replace the Indian Post Office Act of 1898. This legislation addresses various aspects concerning the operation of India Post, a government-run entity responsible for postal services. The Bill was introduced by Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Changes Proposed in the Bill

• Director General of Postal Services:
  • The recently passed Bill grants the Director General of Postal Services the authority to make regulations pertaining to activities essential for offering various additional services as may be prescribed by the central government, as well as for fixing charges for these services.
  • This is significant because it eliminates the need for parliamentary approval while revising the set charges for any services provided by post offices, including traditional mail services.
• Strengthening Postal Department:
  • The necessary flexibility to determine and change the prices of its services in a highly competitive sector is provided to the postal department under the Bill.
  • Such power will enable the postal department to promptly meet market demands.
• Interception of Shipments:
  • The bill professes that the Central Government, “may, by notification, empower any officer to cause any item in course of transmission by the Post Office to be intercepted, opened or detained in the interest of the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, emergency, or public safety or upon the occurrence of any contravention of any of the provisions of this Act”.
  • The new Bill includes a broader provision that aims to prevent smuggling and the illegal transmission of drugs and prohibited items via postal packages.
  • Central Government through a notification will empower an officer who may carry out an interception.
• Identifiers and Post Codes:
  • Section 5 Sub-section 1 of the Bill states that “The Central Government may prescribe standards for addressing on the items, address identifiers and usage of postcodes”.
  • It offers guidelines to the Central Government regarding item addressing standards, address identification, and the usage of postal codes.
  • This provision will replace physical addresses with digital codes based on geographical coordinates for precise identification of a premise.
  • While digital addressing is a forward-looking concept, it could simplify the sorting process and enhance the accuracy of mail and parcel deliveries.
• Removal of Offences and Penalties:
  • The bill does not contain the punishment for theft, misappropriation or destruction of postal articles by an officer of the Post Office which was part of original Act.
  • It only contains one penalty under Section 7 that is:
    • Every person who avails a service provided by the Post Office shall be liable to pay the charges in respect of such service.
    • If any person refuses or neglects to pay the charges referred to in Sub-section (1), such amount shall be recoverable as if it were arrears of land revenue due from him.

Lacunae in the Bill

• The Bill is only applicable upon India Post which has 15% share in the postal industry however a huge share of other courier services will remain untouched by the bill. Hence, it limits the power to intercept, open or detain any item in the course of postal transmission on the grounds of national security and public service.
• The Bill does not have any provision under which other courier service entities will get themselves registered under the Central Government which could have made them accountable.
• If the Central Government had retained the authority to intercept and open parcels during transmission by the other courier service, it would have strengthened the control of the Central Government upon the movement of prohibited items through parcels.

Conclusion

The Bill is proposed by the Government to facilitate an evolution by transforming the post office into a network for delivery of citizen centric services. It will act as a strong legal framework consistent with the developments in this era of mobile phones and AI and will also contribute to national security. The Government would be able to courier parcels through drones once the geo-spatial code’s implementation succeeds after the enactment of the bill.